Jump 074: Chrono Trigger

Jump 74: Chrono Trigger
>Page of Swords (The approach of an unexpected challenge, to be met with clear thought and just action.)
>Age: 16
>Location: Antiquity (12,000 BC)
>Identity: Royalty (-100), Enlightened One (-100)
>Drawbacks: Lavos Beckons (0), Hold Thy Tongue (-200), Snack for the Great Lavos (-200), The Trial (-200), Crimson Echoes (-300)
>Veridicality (1300)
So paradoxing me out of existence is not so simple a thing. Important.
>Fooled You, Didn't I? (Free, Royalty)
... no, not really.
>The Black Wind Howls (1200, Royalty)
This in combination with other perks... this is enough to give me an idea of what to be concerned about, and other perks will let me see exactly what I should be concerned about.
>Power of Zeal (900, Royalty)
Well, it would seem that I am part of the line of Zeal after all. If there were any doubts, having this much power removes them.
>Golden Stud (700, Royalty)
And this most certainly helps me use that power efficiently. Cuts local magic use by 75%. Very helpful.
>Living Metal (500, 12,000 BC)
Living... metal? Why yes, I would very much like to know more...
>Wings of Time (0)
This is going to get quite a workout here. I'm going to definitely park it in the warehouse, but it's going to see use in the handful of other jumps where time travel happens as well. For example, Terminator.

So... a member of the royal family, but not a son of Queen Zeal; still a prince but not in the direct line of descent. It's no surprise, then, that when I spoke of concerns with Schala about Lavos, I was branded a heretic by her and the trial commenced. Certainly, I did my best to prove my innocence as nothing I did was illegal, but when the monarch herself is accusing you, you rapidly realize you are in a kangaroo court. It amused me how well they hushed it up - they made excuses for where I was, no one was permitted to speak in my defense, and in the end, I chose to leave rather than be executed.

And by leave, I mean in the time machine.

Now, the thing is... after that point, I travelled to and from many eras, doing my best not to interfere, hoping that Crono and his friends would deal with things, but... I ended up meeting them in 2300 AD, because my conscience wouldn't let me NOT help the people out. I knew they'd get the seeds in canon, but there are other places where humanity survives, and I visited them before I watched the Day of Lavos with them. And then, I told them what I had found.

Lavos isn't guiding the evolution of mankind and technology. He's repeatedly been interfering with humanity's rise and causing their fall. The greatest fall was that of Zeal in 12,000 BC, but humanity has been around for sixty-five million years, essentially unchanged - wildlife changes and mutates, various things done to monster races, but the dominant species of the planet remains stagnant. The only difference is that he interfered directly in 12,000 BC.

I went my own way, rather than joining them. Did my best to not inferfere with the canon plot too much. But I bided my time, regained my strength, and met up with the heroes in Zeal, in disguise for obvious reasons. When Lavos was summoned and Zeal fell... I reached out with my magic and moved Schala to safety, though to the others it looked like she'd simply disappeared as she had in canon. I was able to do that for Janus as well, but it was for the best that I didn't. As I explained to Schala, I was unwilling to make blatant disruptions to the timeline - she did not take it well, of course, but once I told her the heights Janus would reach simply to get her back, she understood a bit better.

As things progressed we largely shadowed the others. Once Frog and Magus spoke and Frog chose not to slay him, Magus and Schala reunited and she chose to join their party instead. I chose not to but still ended up where they were going by a matter of coincidences. Fought alongside them to eliminate Lavos. And after that wished them all well, and moved on.

By moved on, I don't mean I left - I mean I was attacked by King Zeal after going back to the ruins of my former civilization. It's not a surprise after all, I'd spoken against Lavos and he knew me as his brother's son and not as a warrior who would fight Lavos, but he was empowered by the beast so I should not have been surprised that I had to resort to cheap tricks to survive his ambush and win. Of course, he'd already screwed with the timeline, so I spent a good period of time putting THAT all back to rights.

And then I was attacked by, of all things, armies of ever-more-advanced Reptites, and ended up dealing with some crazed AI behind them that was ALSO trying to serve Lavos.

God, what a nightmare.

I hate that hedgehog.